Easy Two Ingredient Fermented Garlic Honey Recipe
This fermented garlic honey is a delicious condiment to add a sweet kick to a variety of dishes while naturally boosting immunity!
Fermented garlic honey is beyond easy to make and is so much greater than the sum of its parts.
The garlic infuses the honey with flavor and also makes it quite liquidy. Over time, the garlic soaks up the honey and becomes almost candied. The texture becomes a bit chewy, and its bite is softened dramatically.
This delicious garlicky honey makes a wonderful condiment and can potentially even give your immune system a little boost because both honey and garlic contain natural antimicrobial properties.
It's so simple to throw together, all it needs is a little time to allow the ingredients to meld. The longer it sits, the better it gets.
The honey tastes more garlicky, while the garlic gets sweeter and more mellow. It also starts to ferment a bit, which I find adds even more flavor and immune-boosting properties.
If you love fermenting and pickling, you have to try these crunchy Ginger Pickled Carrots, this Sicilian sweet and sour eggplant Caponata, this fermented Jalapeño Hot Sauce or I can show you How to Pickle just about any type of vegetable!
Why This Recipe Works
- Only 2 ingredients.
- Super easy to put together.
- Makes a delicious condiment to add to dressings, sauces and pizza.
Honey - Use raw honey. If possible, raw and local honey is best. You want an unpasteurized honey since raw honey contains the microbes and enzymes needed for fermentation. If you use pasteurized honey, it may not ferment.
Garlic - Use whole, organic (if possible) fresh garlic cloves. Garlic is typically available year round in grocery stores. Look for garlic that isn’t sprouting, doesn’t have any soft spots and does not have any sour smell.
*Find the full ingredient list in the recipe card below!
Helpful Equipment
Mason jar - A Mason jar or any glass jar with a tight fitting lid works for honey garlic.
Step by Step Instructions
- Separate and peel each clove of garlic, then cut into halves or quarters depending on size. It’s important to cut each piece of garlic at least once so that they release their allicin.
- Add to a mason jar, then cover with honey. Make sure you have enough honey to completely cover the garlic.
- Stir, then cover the jar and let sit at room temperature for at least 48 hours or up to a week.
- The garlic will still be quite potent at this point, but it is ready to be used. It will mellow out and become more “candied” as time goes on. Store in the refrigerator for up to 9 months.
Tips for Success
- Make sure the garlic is fully submerged in the honey. If it’s not, it can start to spoil. Give the mixture a shake once a day or so to ensure the garlic stays submerged.
- If you like a more mild taste, move the mixture to the refrigerator sooner to slow the fermentation.
- If leaving it at room temperature for more than 48 hours, burp the jar once every 24 to 48 hours to release any gasses to prevent it from exploding (like a soda can).
- Make sure to use a clean jar.
How to use fermented garlic honey
I absolutely love this stuff drizzled over pizza! While up a homemade pizza with Neapolitan Pizza Dough and your favorite toppings. Or try my grilled pizza recipe, a classic Neapolitan Pizza Margherita or a Quattro Formaggi (4 cheese) Pizza!
Garlic honey also makes a great base for a salad dressing. Use use it in a homemade vinaigrette, on a Kale Salad or sweeten up this Chicken Milanese recipe.
When I am feeling under the weather, I pop a few cloves or a teaspoon of the honey in my mouth. It soothes your throat and both honey and garlic contain antimicrobial agents that could be beneficial to the immune system.
FAQ
Store in an airtight container (sterilized jar if possible) at room temperature in a dark place for 48 hours, up to a week. Refrigerate after it’s done fermenting. Once you place it in the refrigerator, the fermentation will slow down. So if you want it more mild, you can refrigerate it sooner. When stored correctly, honey garlic can last in the refrigerator for 9 months up to a year.
As a condiment, add it to anything that can use a little sweetness and extra flavor. It's delicious on pizza, drizzled on salads and added to meats.
Garlic honey is said to be great for the immune system during flu season. You can take a little bit of the honey and some of the garlic at the first sign of flu symptoms.
You can also add a bit of the garlic-infused honey to a cup of hot water with lemon juice.
When fermenting food, there is always a risk of botulism. Honey has natural antiviral and antibacterial properties, as does garlic. The mixture will be acidic because honey is naturally acidic. The acidity makes it safe to eat as the botulism spores can’t thrive in an acidic environment of a pH level at 4.6 or less. If you would like to test the mixture before consuming, you can use a pH test strip or meter to make sure the pH is at 4.6 or below before eating.
If you are worried about botulism, you can add 1 tablespoon of apple cider vinegar to the jar after placing the garlic inside (just before adding honey). This will help keep the pH level low. It will slightly alter the taste of the honey garlic, and though not as tasty as without it, it will still be good.
Yes! It will have a strong taste at first, but over time it gets very mellow and takes on a caramel flavor from the honey. You can chop it up and add it to salad dressings too.
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Fermented Garlic Honey Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 large bulb or 2 smaller bulbs of garlic organic or locally grown is best
- 16 ounces raw honey
Instructions
- Separate and peel each clove of garlic, then cut into halves or quarters depending on size. It’s important to cut each piece of garlic at least once so that they release their allicin. Add to a mason jar, then cover with honey. Stir, then cover the jar and let sit at room temperature for at least 48 hours or up to a week.
- The garlic will still be quite potent at this point, but it is ready to be used. The garlic will mellow out and become more “candied” as time goes on. Store in the refrigerator for up to one year.
Notes
- Make sure the garlic is fully submerged in the honey. If it’s not, it can start to spoil. Give the mixture a shake once a day or so to ensure the garlic is submerged.
- If you like a more mild taste, move the mixture to the refrigerator sooner to slow the fermentation.
- If you leave jar at room temperature for more than 48 hours, it may be a good idea to open the jar once a day, or once every other day to release any gasses. This will help release gas so when you are ready to eat, it doesn’t explode (like a shaken soda can).
- Make sure to use a clean jar.
Nutrition
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Its great!
So glad you love the recipe! Thanks for leaving a review! 🙂
Just made my first of hopefully many jars of this garlicky honey. Can't wait to taste it 🙂 Do you have to store it in the fridge or can you leave it on the counter??
I know some who keep it on the counter but I prefer keeping it in the fridge to be safe. I think it keeps longer this way.
Most recipes I find about making garlic honey mention needing to "burp" the jar in order to avoid a - for lack of better words - explosive mess. In your recipe it doesn't mention having to burp the jar. When you say to cover it for those 48 hours, what do you use? Do you have to burp the jars at all and why/why not?
It will take a lot more than 48 hours at room temperature for it to explode, so burping is really not necessary. This is not a long fermentation. I like to cover it with a towel for the first 48 hours and then put a lid on the jar to refrigerate. Once in the refrigerator it's good to go.
I saw you said it get liquidus but is there any point it would be considered like "spoiled" how do you know when it's time to toss and make a new batch?
Hi Jaz, great question! Because honey is relatively acidic, there is a very low risk of botulism with this preparation. However, you can use a PH strip to test the acidity if you're concerned. Botulism spores need a pH higher than 4.6 to reproduce, and honey is usually around or under 4, depending. If the pH is too high, add 1/2 teaspoon of raw apple cider vinegar, then retest until the PH is below 4.6. You likely won't need to do this, but it can't hurt to check. Otherwise, the honey will last quite a long time in the refrigerator. Toss it if the flavor starts to turn or if you think it's been sitting around for too long.
What happens if you don’t burp it? I did however turn it upside down every now and then
It will build up gas over time and could potentially explode.
Yes! Was great. Thank you. I will see if helps this winter.
SO happy you enjoyed it!
Great recipe! We used it on our flounder and salmon, delicious. The garlic taster like candy 🙂
Thank you Mina!! So glad you guys enjoyed it. Stay safe!! <3
I have a big bag of garlic that needs to be used before it’s sell by date. I see that your notes say this can be stored in the fridge for up to a year. What keeps this garlic from going bad?
Both garlic and honey have natural antiseptic properties. The honey actually preserves the garlic
I feel you, Coley. I totally have the same thoughts on Christmas feasting and the hangover in January. This garlic honey will help me to detox my body. Great recipe and so beautiful photos! Love it.